The Young and the Talented: Cabaret Show Wows Audiences

On Saturday, February 26, the Palace Theater busted at the seams with a large, rambunctious crowd that came to hear musi­cal tributes from talented young starlets. In the second of two cabaret performances – the first was on Friday night – presented by Colgate’s own Masque & Tri­angle, the cast of “The Young and the Restless” lived up to the title of their show, belting out songs which were giddily received by the packed-to-capacity audience.

The theme of the show was seen in the choice of songs se­lected, which, as the evening’s program explained, aimed to “reflect the struggles of youth and hope for the future.” While many of the songs reflected themes of rebellion, the audience came to embody these themes as well. Be­fore many of the acts, select audience members could be heard boisterously shouting the names and nicknames of friends who were about to hit the stage. Much to the chagrin of their fellow attendees, who responded with loud shushes and blunt remarks, these hoots continued for the entire evening. Interestingly enough, the shouts and catcalls seemed to encourage the singers, and the show went on without a glitch.

Standout performances included the much-applauded duet “Sorority Girls,” from the show Glory Days, performed by sophomore Dana Paolucci and first-year Kelly Curtis. Paolucci, be­loved by the crowd, blew the audience a theatrical kiss at the close of her song. Equally memorable was “Open Road,” also from Glory Days, sung by freshmen Enrique CuUnjieng and Karl Jackson, sophomore Travis Larrison and junior Trinel Torian. These four guys were perfectly matched to create a wonderful har­mony in a song with an extremely powerful and uplifting message.

While singing creates the cabaret experience, the live band accompanying the singers was also quite noteworthy. With senior Liz Barnett and sophomore Brian Roberts alternating on piano, first-year Zac Coe on drums and junior Andy Peng on guitar and bass, the audience was treated to a wonderful addition to an already fabulous show.

The two performances this semester were directed by Barnett, John­son and sophomores Erika Fritz and Molly McDevitt. Senior Becca McArthur was also acknowledged as an unofficial “fifth director” for the hard work and extensive amount of time she contributed.